2022 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings: Consensus First Round
Editor’s Note: These 2022 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings are a starting point for your dynasty rookie draft. Make sure you’re ready for your draft by checking out our 2022 Rookie Draft Guide, which is now updated with post-draft profiles for all your favorite prospects, our current Dynasty Rookie Rankings and our convenient Rookie Draft Cheat Sheets. Looking to move or acquire some of those picks? Make sure you take a look at our Dynasty Trade Analyzer and import your leagues to get maximum value. There are simply no better resources out there for dynasty fantasy football draft preparation.
Every draft has its own uniqueness. This year’s version promised unprecedented talent at the receiver position and clearly delivered. In the end, we saw a whopping 16 receivers taken in the first two rounds. We also had at least two intriguing running backs taken on day two. This was a down year for quarterbacks, but there are also a few worth taking a chance on. As always, there are going to be some tough choices in dynasty drafts and we’ll be here all off-season to help you make the best moves possible. Let’s dig in to these early 2022 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings and start breaking it down.
TIER ONE
The tiers and commentary I’ll make on this post are my own, comprised of my own opinions. The rankings are based on our consensus rookie rankings. To me, tier one is a little bigger this year than in most. While Breece Hall is the consensus number one pick in most drafts at the moment, the gap between him and the other three isn’t wide enough to quite put him in a tier of his own.
1.01 = Breece Hall, RB NYJ
It would have been nice to see Hall end up on a more competitive team at the end of round one. Still, the Jets look to be improving and Hall is going to be counted on quickly in New York. Remember, he is an extremely productive player who rushed for more than 3,000 yards and scored 41 touchdowns on the ground at Iowa State the past two seasons. Add in 82 career receptions and six receiving scores during his three years in Ames and you have yourself what looks to be as close to a “can’t-miss” running back we have in this year’s class.
There are some concerns about the landing spot, though. Michael Carter was very effective last season and it’s unlikely we’re going to see Hall as a true three-down back right from the start. While he has the talent to overtake Carter, it really sounds like the Jets want some kind of a 1-2 punch at the position, at least starting out. Dynasty owners should be very wary of just trading away Carter for pennies on the dollar. We’ve seen highly drafted running backs (Rashaad Penny, Ben Tate) fail to unseat the incumbent running back early in their careers. While Hall should have little problem taking a bulk of the work away from Carter, nothing is guaranteed. Regardless, Hall looks like the 1.01 this year based on his potential and landing spot.
1.02 = Drake London, WR ATL
On paper, this draft was one of the best ever in terms of wide receiver talent. In the end, it was London who was the first wide receiver taken off the board, going at #8 to the Atlanta Falcons. This will likely be the second year in a row where an Atlanta pass catcher is taken in the top three of most rookie drafts as London will join last year’s tight end stud, Kyle Pitts. There are some concerns about London’s ability to separate at the next level and he’s going to need to prove he can do that if he’s going to be successful. We also really don’t know how the quarterback situation is going to pan out in Atlanta. With Matt Ryan playing for the Colts, the Falcons have Marcus Mariota to serve as a bridge to Desmond Ridder, whom they drafted later on over the weekend. There are going to be some serious growing pains for this offense and dynasty managers are going to need to have some patience here. Still, London was on his way to a dominant season at USC last year en route to posting an 88/1,084/7 season in just eight games. He’s a high end prospect and the first receiver taken in this draft for a reason. You may not get the immediate return you want, but London should be fine in the end, especially if Calvin Ridley never comes back to play for Atlanta.
1.03 = Garrett Wilson, WR NYJ
Prior to last weekend’s activities, Wilson was popularly mocked to be the first wideout taken, possibly by the Jets at #4 overall. Instead, New York went for Sauce Gardner and still had Wilson fall into their laps with the tenth overall selection. Wilson’s ultimate potential in dynasty leagues will be tied closely to the development of quarterback Zach Wilson. If their young quarterback fails to improve, Wilson’s numbers will suffer until they get competent quarterback play. Still, the talent is there with the former Buckeye receiver, especially considering his athleticism, speed and burst. Like so many receivers, Wilson will have to beat press coverage to be successful in the long-term, but he carries both a pretty high ceiling and a pretty high floor – something you want to see in a rookie you consider taking in the top three.
1.04 = Treylon Burks, WR TEN
The Titans threw the biggest curveball on draft day when they traded AJ Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles for the 16th pick, which they then used on Burks, the multi-skilled Arkansas dynamo. Before you go too crazy thinking the Titans believe Burks = Brown, consider the trade in its totality. The Titans actually traded Brown for what equates to be Burks and ten of millions of salary cap space. However, with Brown now in the City of Brotherly Love, there are a huge number of targets needing to be distributed amongst the Tennessee pass catchers. Dynasty managers who were hoping Burks was drafted to a team that really needed him early got their wish. The Deebo Samuel comparisons are getting a little mainstream, but dynasty managers do need to realize Burks as a complete skill set. This offense is going to run through Derrick Henry, but look for Tennessee to find creative ways to get the ball into Burks’ hands. With a recovering Robert Woods on the opposite side, Burks’ time is now. He very well could have the highest initial ceiling of any receiver in this year’s class.
TIER TWO
This tier consists of three players, all of whom could be likely candidates for any of the three picks here, making this a truly solid tier. In early mock drafts, these three have been all over the place, but rarely higher than three or lower than seven or eight.
1.05 = Kenneth Walker III, RB SEA
News flash – the Seahawks like to run the football. Rashaad Penny was a revelation last year, but Seattle only gave him a one-year deal to return and he’ll need to prove he can be productive and healthy for an entire season, something that’s yet to occur thus far in his four-year career. With Chris Carson‘s future seemingly in real jeopardy, Seattle decided to take Walker and ensure themselves some security in the backfield. He’s clearly no slouch as he posted a monster season last year at Michigan State with 1,636 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. It was an amazing achievement and an unexpected one as he had transferred from Wake Forest after two mediocre seasons. There is some real concern about his ability to contribute in the passing game, however. With just 19 career receptions, he’s going to need to prove he can be effective with screen passes and dump-offs. If he can, he’s going to have a chance to be uber-productive in the Emerald City. If he can’t, he’s going to be more of a first and second down thumper. Regardless, his production and potential merits consideration in this year’s top five.
1.06 = Jameson Williams, WR DET
Had Williams not torn his ACL last season, he would have been likely to be taken in the top five in the NFL Draft. Instead, the Lions thought he was well worth the risk and moved all the way up to pick #12 to grab the former Alabama star. It’s a bit of a rough landing spot for Williams, who currently has Jared Goff as his quarterback. While Goff was able to make Amon-Ra St. Brown viable in dynasty leagues last season, it’s hard to say if he’s still good enough to make not one, but two wide receivers valuable in dynasty leagues. With all that said, Williams has amazing talent and likely the highest ceiling in this class. He’s not Calvin Johnson, but he’s the best receiver they’ve had on paper since Megatron left town. Detroit was extremely aggressive in getting Williams and honestly look like they believe he’s the next big thing at the position. Detroit has simply been a place where receiver prospects rarely pan out (think Mike Williams, Charles Rogers, Titus Young, Reggie Barrett, Derrick Williams, and more). Even though their track record is suspect, Williams’ talent puts him squarely in this tier.
1.07 = Chris Olave, WR NO
There was smoke before draft day indicating Olave was creeping up some draft boards. Well, that proved to be true (at least for the Saints), as they traded up to #12 to take the talented Ohio State receiver. The numbers have never told the whole story with Olave. He could have produced some massive stats in other programs, but was also paired with some other elite receiving talent throughout his career. Still, he may be the most NFL-ready receiver (maybe even player) in this entire class. With uncertainty still swirling around Michael Thomas, there’s a lot to like with Olave. Jameis Winston won’t be scared to sling the ball around and as such, Olave’s rookie floor seems secure. The Tre’Quan Smith and Marquez Callaway experiment didn’t really work last season, so Olave looks like a relatively safe dynasty pick in the middle of round one.
TIER THREE
And now the fun begins. While not set in stone, the top seven seem to have established themselves as the best of the 2021 class, at least in terms of 1QB leagues. However, the draft is far from over after seven as this tier features some high-caliber dynasty prospects.
1.08 = George Pickens, WR PIT
The Steelers have had a long and storied track record when it comes to hitting on receivers not taken in round one. Sure, there have been some busts (remember Troy Edwards and Limas Sweed), but they’ve also done well with players like Antonio Brown before he went insane, Chase Claypool, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Hines Ward, Diontae Johnson and countless others. Pickens is going to need to climb the depth chart (something James Washington could never do), but he has legitimate talent. An ACL tear stopped him from putting together the season he wanted, but Pickens is a super talented player. Dynasty managers will need to exhibit a little more patience than they’d like with a pick this high, but he could really pay off in the future. While Pickens may have a low floor, his ceiling is unquestionably higher than most.
1.09 = Jahan Dotson, WR WAS
Much like Olave, there was momentum going into the draft suggesting Dotson could sneak into round one. Well, that proved to off since he was taken in the first half of round one by the Washington Commanders, something almost nobody could have predicted. With Terry McLaurin as the alpha receiver and Curtis Samuel proving to be a little unreliable (and that’s being kind), this ends up being a relatively solid landing spot for Dotson. This trio has to really hope they can resurrect the dynasty and real-life value of new quarterback Carson Wentz. The draft capital alone is going to move Dotson up draft boards and he seems to be a relatively safe bet to be taken in the top ten selections in 1QB rookie drafts this-offseason. He needs to add some strength, but certainly has some real potential. The key is going to be Wentz. If Washington is forced to turn to Sam Howell early in his career, this could be rough for a bit.
1.10 = Christian Watson, WR GB
The Packers missed out on the top six receivers in the class as they were content to fill other holes with their two first round draft choices instead of trading up for one of the premier wideouts. Instead, they traded up in the second round to get Christian Watson. It’s a fantastic landing spot for the small school (North Dakota State) stud, who should compete for playing time right away. The challenge with Watson is clearly the level of competition he’s faced thus far. If he can prove to be NFL-ready, he could be a steal at the end of round one of a rookie draft. Aaron Rodgers has been notorious for making rookies earn their way and relying more on veterans. However, with Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Davante Adams both out of town, he may have no choice but to get Watson involved early and often.
1.11 = Skyy Moore, WR KC
Speaking of great destinations, Moore hit the mother lode when he was taken by the Kansas City Chiefs. While he’s a much different player than Tyreek Hill (who moved on to Miami), he projects to be a perfect fit in the Kansas City offense. Remember, he enjoyed a massive breakout last season for Western Michigan as he posted 95 catches (tied for ninth in FBS) for 1,292 yards and ten touchdowns. There are the same concerns in terms of competition level that there are with Watson, but Moore also showed well at the combine with a solid 4.41 40. He still seems like he’s a project and tends to play just one speed. Still, Moore has solid ball skills and seems like a tough player for the position. Dynasty owners may need to be patient here, but he has a chance to be a starter for the Chiefs in time. With Hill gone, Travis Kelce getting older, and nobody else really stepping up to be a “go-to” player so far, Moore is going to be a tough player to pass on in round one for owners with a keen eye for the future.
1.12 = Rachaad White, RB TB
White is the last player to make this list, but he belongs here. The Bucs have Leonard Fournette for at least another season, but they sent Ronald Jones packing. While White likely eats more into the current value of Ke’Shawn Vaughn, you can see a path to an eventual starting job here. White is an interesting case as he posted impressive stats last year at Arizona State (1,426 rushing yards on over six yards per carry and 15 rushing touchdowns last year alone), but some play tape that simply looks average. White looks like a prototypical back who will get what’s blocked, but doesn’t have the wiggle to break a tremendous number of arm tackles. He did well catching the ball last season (43/456/1), showing a good burst, however. He’s a high upside player who would be instantly relevant with an injury to Fournette. However, he’s also a ways away from meaningful dynasty production. How patient are you?
Thanks for checking our round one 2022 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings! Please stay tuned for future rounds and check out all of our other terrific resources for preparing you for you dynasty rookie drafts! Tracking this ADP is going to be a lot of fun over the next few months:
2022 Rookie Rankings
2022 Rookie Draft Guide
2022 Rookie Draft Cheat Sheets
Dynasty Trade Analyzer
Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK
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